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Senate panel advances bill to clarify CEQA for San Diego’s Midway Rising project
Summary
SB 958 would guide CEQA review for San Diego’s Midway Rising redevelopment to allow the project — including more than 4,000 homes and a new arena — to proceed by clarifying how height‑related impacts are treated; the city and mayor’s office urged approval and the committee passed the bill to Appropriations.
Sen. Weber Pearson presented SB 958 to provide a legal pathway for the Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego, saying the measure reflects years of planning, two voter approvals and environmental review while supplying guidance to courts on how to account for height‑related impacts in future CEQA documents.
Moira Topp, representing Mayor Todd Gloria and the City of San Diego, described the project as a "once in a generation" development on city‑owned surplus land that will produce over 4,000 homes (about 2,000 affordable), parks and a LEED‑Gold certified multipurpose arena. "We've been mired in litigation and it's time to get shovels in the ground," Topp told the committee.
No witnesses opposed SB 958 at the hearing. Committee members asked clarifying questions about environmental review; the bill's author said the measure was amended to remove a full CEQA exemption and instead to clarify how impacts should be accounted for in the project's future environmental impact report. The committee voted to pass SB 958 to the Appropriations Committee.
